Speech of Prime Minister Edi Rama at the reception hosted by the President of the Parliamentary Special Committee on Justice Reform:
I GRATEFULLY THANK THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PARLIAMENTARY SPECIAL COMMITTEE, FATMIR XHAFAJ, FOR ALLOWING US TODAY TO EXPRESS A BIG THANKS TO ALL HIGH-LEVEL EXPERTS WHO WORKED IN THE WORKING GROUP ON CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM WITHOUT INTERRUPTION FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. IN A CLIMATE OF PRESSURE, ACCUSATIONS AND UNWORTHY INSULTS, WITH A POLICY THAT FIRMLY DID ITS BEST TO DELAY THIS REFORM AND HAVE IT FAIL, SENIOR EXPERTS, COMMITTED TO CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM, CONCEIVED AND FINALIZED A PRODUCT WORTHY OF THE NEXT GENERATION ALBANIA.
They were labelled at the outset, maliciously, as experts of the Socialist Party, whereas not even one of them has either ever overcome the threshold of our political house, or has performed any service on behalf of the Socialist Party. Let me clarify that, as far as I am concerned, this wouldn’t be an imperfection, but rather a reason to be proud that professionals of this calibre were experts of the Socialist Party. But the truth is that they are not, they were not selected as such and did not work for this major work as if they were.
Therefore, as Prime Minister, I apologize for the ongoing attacks of the political barbarism against them. I express them my deepest gratitude for thoroughly performing their work, with great dedication, high professionalism and unquestionable integrity.
In thanking for his presence here, a dear friend of Albania’s, and I do not exaggerate if I say a dear friend of mine, Gianni Buquicchio, today I want to share with everybody, for the legitimate pleasure of constitutional reform experts here present, the excellent impression I received from the delegation of the Venice Commission for their work during our meeting in Tirana. I believe that that impression, expressed in superlatives by distinguished professors of the Venice Commission, is the best compliment on a job as voluminous as complex given its extremely difficult nature in not at all optimal conditions in which it was successfully accomplished.
Fate wanted Albania to have by its side, in this period of intense changes and special events, some dear friends, such as Gianni De Biasi and Gianni Buquicchio. The first one, a leader of exciting battles of our national team in the green fields of the most popular sports in the world; the second, a wise guide for all of us, in the churning waters of the most fundamental reform process for Next Generation Albania.
Dear Gianni, you have to learn today that the word Venice has been used in Albania over the past six months, more than it has been used by all tourist agencies of the world all together.
What Albanian MPs were lacking in the Assembly Hall were gondolas, so they could feel during each session as a tourist group in the heart of Venice waters. Meanwhile – and this is a fact – the influx of Albanian tourists to Venice this year is the highest of all time, thanks to this dizzy and unrepeatable advertising to the water city in Albania, following the involvement of the Venice Commission in the extraordinary process of Justice Reform.
I have no information how you are treated by the Venice City Hall, but our Parliament, and I am convinced the Speaker approves of this idea, is ready to support the Commission, if you ask the Venice City Hall a special fee for this added value in promoting the city.
But what matters most is gratitude to all the members of your mission, for their precious and irreplaceable support to this historical process. While you were really a good luck for us, because you brought not only your wisdom in this process, but also the precious experience of a scholar who were here more than 20 years ago when Albania started to write its new constitution. Your unique experience in our country enriched the technical assistance of the Venice Commission who got to see more closely the reality where Albanians live and fight with each other.
But the truth is that neither senior experts nor the high-level advice of the Venice Commission would be able to take to the shore of the United Europe the ship of Constitutional Reform for Justice, if the United States and the Union European didn’t support Albania like never before in 25 years, as the guardian angel of the Reform face to the overwhelming waves of interests of the corrupt justice system.
Our invaluable allies assured the extraordinary journey of the reform amid the huge waves, both through their mission of experts, EURALIUS and OPDAT, and with a massive political commitment that was epitomized in the daily performance of the process through the historic role of two people, the ambassadors of the United States and of the European Union.
Thanks will be never enough for their frontal commitment, their unusual effort, their exemplary patience in following-up a mission that seemed impossible to many, a mission that, in fact, we all know, not only is not over, but has just started with a promising success:
The constitutional reform, which was finally voted by 100% of the Assembly, thanks to three fundamental factors.
First, the pressure of the popular will, which was naturally epitomized since the beginning of the process, in cooperation between the governing majority and the strategic allies of Albania.
Secondly, the unusual pressure of our strategic allies on the block against the reform, which reached a decisive peak at the end of the process.
Thirdly, the pressure created within that block, by the courage of some MPs who guaranteed the majority for voting the constitutional reform.
I reiterate today the role of these 3 factors – neither because I want to fuel a concocted controversy, nor because I am interested in the duel for the throne of the victors, because I modestly believe that the only victor here is Albania; Albania is much greater than any of us, and all of us together, – but because I want to share with everyone the conviction that the path of this reform so radical is not easier now that the constitutional reforms has passed, but it will be hard at every turn, whether with the 7 pressing laws coming next, or with their enforcement which is a totally different story, and dozens of other laws included in the work plan for this colossal reform.
Every step will be a battle.
There is no reform without battle. Moreover, such a reform could not be imagined differently in terms of what he had to go through, and I am sure that there is more to come. But, while I was among the few optimists who thought that the judicial reform was finally going to pass after 25 years, when this titanic endeavour to clear the palace of the Albanian justice began, today, thanks to the vote on July 21st, I am part of the vast majority of Albanians who believe that this reform cannot be stop by anything and anyone. It makes me laugh because I said “July 21”; Sali Berisha says “July 22”, and the Speaker of the Assembly says “midnight between 21 and 22 July”.
There’s a story we have with dates, and we keep enriching it.
Just like on the first day, I am convinced that with the support of our strategic allies, the United States and the European Union; with the assistance of the Venice Commission, whenever it will be necessary; with the knowledge of high-level experts, both domestic and foreign; with the will of the ruling majority and our willingness to accept any request of the opposition approved by Brussels and Washington, through this reform we will succeed in freeing Albania from the clutches of a corrupt justice, and launch negotiations with the European Union for our country’s membership in the family of a United Europe.
My sincere gratitude to everyone!
Many thanks for a process that continues, but with a promising success!
Thank you!
